17-Year Yankee Jorge Posada Says He Doesn't Feel Welcome by Team

Jorge Posada, who spent his entire 17-year playing career with the New York Yankees and won five World Series titles, says he no longer feels welcome around the organization that employed him for nearly two decades. "I don't think they want me there, to tell you the truth," the five-time All-Star told the New York Post's "The Show" podcast, in comments reported by ESPN. The remarks come as the Yankees face broader questions about clubhouse culture following a disappointing postseason, according to ESPN's report of the podcast interview.

What did the former catcher say about returning to the Yankees?

Asked whether he would consider rejoining the organization in some capacity, he said he has avoided the team's facilities, including spring training.

"I don't feel welcome when I go there, you know? Even in spring training, I don't feel like -- I'm just like, I don't know, I don't feel welcome. I don't feel like they want me there, so I don't go," he said, according to ESPN.

Why does he trace the rift to his final season?

He pointed to 2011, his last year as a player, when the Yankees moved him off catcher and into a part-time designated-hitter role, a shift that led to a public feud over playing time. "My last season of my career was a really tough one when it comes to handling everything on my part and also the Yankees toward Jorge Posada," he said. "So it's tough to go back and feel that again." That dispute, he said, still colors how he views the organization more than a decade later.

Does he think the Yankees need a voice like his anyway?

Yes, with a caveat. He said the organization should add a coaching voice willing to "push" players toward higher standards of accountability after what he called sloppy postseason stretches, but he stopped short of volunteering for the role himself, repeating that he does not believe he would be wanted back. ESPN's report noted he was asked about rejoining the organization during a discussion of the team's postseason struggles, not as a response to any specific job opening.

By the numbers

• 17 seasons: his entire playing career, all with the Yankees.
• 5 World Series titles and 5 All-Star selections mark his on-field résumé, per ESPN.
• 2011: the final season in which he clashed with Yankees management over his playing-time role.

What to watch

• Whether the Yankees front office responds publicly to the comments.
• Whether manager Aaron Boone's position that the clubhouse remains a "strength" — a stance he has defended against calls for a culture change, per ESPN — holds through the offseason.
• Whether general manager Brian Cashman's newly reached contract, which ESPN reports came with owner Hal Steinbrenner placing blame on the offense, leads to any coaching-staff additions along the lines described.

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